


In the Cradle of Branches

by Denevega



Category: Odin Sphere
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 17:38:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6998119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denevega/pseuds/Denevega
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the last fairy dies, only then will the path to Vanaheimr be opened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Cradle of Branches

There had been many legends surrounding the fairies of Erion. Some spoke of the magic circles that they created while others told of their kisses powerful enough to break curses. The fairies themselves had their own tales regarding their own existence, none of which were more important than those of their origins.

Supposedly, the fairies were once angels that had been cast out of the heavens for a crime that they did not commit. Given frail bodies by the gods that disappeared and returned to the earth once their time was up, their souls would not be able to return to the heavens unless, at their deathbed, they used the key that they had been left with—their true name as an angel. If they did not utter this name, then their soul would be left to forever wander the depths of the Netherworld.

The once-Princess of the Fairies, Mercedes, had sometimes wondered if there had been any truth to these myths. Fairies, while often quite pretty, were far from being angelic. They gave birth like humans, lived like humans, and died _almost_ like humans. The only difference was that their bodies became the very element of life itself when they passed on. Yet all fairies, from birth, had a name engraved into their memory that was not the one given to them by their parents. That was why they always uttered that name with their last breath, as maybe, just maybe they had a greater existence than their earthly bodies let on.

Mercedes just wished that she had found out far later than sooner.

~*~*~

_Yggdrasil…_

The name that left Mercedes’ lips came out small and feeble. She wondered if she had spoken loudly enough for the heavens above to hear her—she swore she might have heard a gasp nearby, but the fate of the Inferno King wasn’t important now. None of it was.

The great Kingdom of Ringford was in ruins. Everyone, from the youngest infant fairy to the oldest dwarf, was dead. Perhaps worse of all was the genuine proof that she had been powerless to stop it—her death as Fairy Queen was the death of Ringford itself.

Or maybe that was selfish thinking. Maybe Ringford had died long before the world ended. Maybe its death had begun when Mercedes had taken the crown. The last few weeks had been nothing more than a feeble attempt to stave off the inevitable.

The last fragments of energy in her muscles left her and her body crumpled. As the glow faded from her closing eyes, a new light overtook her, one that clutched at her fading form and broke it apart. The pain of even having a body vanished in oblivion. She became nothing, yet at the same time became everything as her soul left the earthly plane and ascended.

Or was she even ascending? Where was she going? It felt as though she were being carried somewhere, but she couldn’t tell if it was far up or a little to the side. At least she wasn’t being dragged down into the depths of the Netherworld. There was no bone chilling, impossible to breathe air or noises that sounded like the damned screaming. She was peaceful to the point of relief, although there was still an ache in her heart as she realized she would have to face her mother and the disappointed faces of everyone soon. She wouldn’t be surprised if Melvin even had some snotty comment to provide once they met again.

A spring breeze caressed her cheeks and she opened her eyes. The sight she was met with was gorgeous beyond the word.

Bathed in the orange glow of dusk, the golden forest shimmered and twinkled in rhythm with her beating heart. A small stream offered a sweet serenade to her ears as she looked around, eyes flying from the ripe fruits that hung from the branches to the flowers that swayed and danced in the wind. Cautiously, she took a step forward as though expecting everything to collapse in on itself. When it didn’t, she took another step, followed by another.

With every step she took, her pace picked up. Soon, she was sprinting through the woods, the wind lifting her as her wings fluttered. The rose bushes and napple trees were a blur as she began laughing, all the pain of her failures briefly forgotten as she tripped, tumbled, and rolled through the grass. She didn’t know what this place was, but at the same time she did.

“I’m…” She was wheezing as she rolled on to her back. “I’m…I’m home. I’m home, mother. I’m here.”

Her chest rose and fell and she let herself get lost in the glory of this near-heavenly abode. Home, that’s what this place was. _Home_.

And yet, despite that this place was home, there was something abnormal about it. Mercedes pushed herself up on to her knees, still breathing heavily, but her excitement leaving, disappearing. She kept looking around, expecting for someone she knew to appear. No one did, at least not yet.

So she leant back slightly and waited. She watched the shadows of the trees, listened to rustle of the bushes, and tried to pick out the sound of footsteps, fluttering wings. There were certainly birds and other creatures around, but nothing sounded remotely fairy-like.

Even as more and more time passed, dusk never became night. For what seemed like a moment, she lay down on the grass and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she knew she had fallen asleep for what must have at least been a few hours, for the birds had stopped chirping and were replaced with crickets. She sat up again and folded her hands in her lap.

“I’m home,” she said to herself, a realization that was hardly stunning hitting her. “But I’m alone.”

After a moment, something wet hit her hand. “I’m alone,” she repeated, the words coming out as weak blubbering. “I’m alone.”

Her shoulders shook slightly. It was strange, but somehow she was smiling despite that she was crying. “I’m so stupid,” she said. “Of course I’d be punished for failing.”

Irrational pain and sorrow took over. She bent over and covered her face with her hands, fingertips becoming wet as she heaved sob after sob. Why? Why would she be taken to a beautiful paradise, only for it to turn out to be yet another hell? _It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair._

She rubbed at her eyes and sniffed loudly. “Okay…” She said. “I’ll just make the best of it, right? Right?” But there was no way to make the best of it. Even the most delicious fruits couldn’t satisfy the craving to meet someone, to talk to someone, to spend time with someone. Her mother, Matthew, Ingway…

She quivered again, the thought of that last one making her choke out another sob. Not even death could help that man keep his promise to her. There were so many tales of friends and lovers reuniting through death, and yet for him and her, even that couldn’t happen. That is, if he had wanted to see her again in the first place.

After some time, her sobs subsided, but the tears remained. She just…wished that someone could be here. To be alone for all eternity was worse than death itself.

“…Heavens, please,” she said softly. “I’m Yggdrasil. All I want is someone to come here and be with me. Or if you can’t, could you at least take me to where my mother is? Please?”

Of course, there was no reply. Mercedes hugged herself and bowed her head. She hoped that she would grow tired again and just fall asleep forever. Dreaming eternally was a better fate than this.

The shadows and grass shifted. Puffy eyes slowly lifted and she blinked, her body shuddering again.

The breeze made the mantle of the man standing in front of her flutter and sway. In his left hand, he clutched a white flower and almost seemed to shrug casually at her before kneeling down

“I got your message,” Ingway gave her a smile. “I just wish there had been a warning before my trip up here.”

Mercedes’ lips moved, but no words came out. Her round red eyes became watery again and Ingway put his hand to her cheek.

“Hey, are you…”

She wouldn’t even let him finish his sentence as she tackled him and buried her face in his chest, another laugh leaving her. Happiness swelled in her chest and warmth practically overflowed from her being as she began to hear other voices and chatter between the trees.

“How long were you asleep?”

“I dunno. It took long enough for this place show up, though!”

Soon, she heard the flutter of wings. Mercedes removed her face from a stunned Ingway’s chest and saw the green of her mother’s long gown. Elfaria’s lips curved upwards and she spoke to her daughter in a gentle voice.

“Thank you, Mercedes, for calling us all home.”


End file.
